Bloodline
by Kirihana
Summary: AU. Getting kidnapped by a vampire is the last thing Sakura expected. Now she's learning about Sasuke's world, and her best friend Naruto has teamed up with the vampire hunting Hyuugas to get her back. Eventual SasuSaku, NaruHina, ShikaTem, and NejiTen.
1. Into The Woods

I really shouldn't be starting a new story, but I decided to put up the first chapter of this and see what kind of response I get. I make no promises on updates, but I'll try to get the next chapter out within a reasonable amount of time. This is AU, as will soon become obvious. Enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

**Bloodline**

---Chapter One: Into The Woods---

"Hey, did you hear? Hinata Hyuuga disappeared three days ago."

"Really? I thought her cousin said she was just sick."

"Well, that's what he _said_, but I heard…"

Sakura Haruno chose to ignore the girls sitting behind her. It wasn't that she didn't care about Hinata; the two girls had been in most of the same classes throughout high school. They hadn't spoken often, since Hinata was incredibly shy and Sakura was usually arguing with her best friend Naruto. It was well-known (except to the boy concerned) that Hinata Hyuuga had an enormous crush on Naruto Uzumaki and was too timid to do anything about it.

But Sakura preferred to believe the official explanation of Hinata's three day absence over the conspiracy theory. Therefore her primary concern at the moment was the math quiz she would be taking in less than ten minutes. The eagerly whispered tale involving vampires- or was it werewolves?- biting Hinata before forcibly kidnapping her barely registered in Sakura's mind.

--------

"Sakura, I think I failed the math quiz," Naruto complained, leaning against the locker next to hers without concern for the poor soul who might need access to it.

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes as she stored her math book, having no sympathy whatsoever for her blond best friend. "If you'd studied like I told you to, you would have that problem." She pulled her history book out of her locker before closing it, snapping the lock shut and spinning the dial. The two sixteen-year-olds started down the hall.

Naruto pouted. "Ah, Sakura, you're so mean!" She just rolled her eyes again. His expression sobered instantly. "Did you hear those girls whispering about Hinata?"

Sakura snorted. "Yeah, but who are you going to believe, Neji Hyuuga or a pair of gossips?"

Naruto looked unusually thoughtful. "I dunno… the Hyuugas are kind of weird, and I don't remember Hinata ever getting sick before."

Sakura sighed. Naruto loved conspiracy theories, and the more ridiculous the better. "Your memory's faulty, then."

Naruto shook his head. "No, really! Except for seventh grade, she's been in my class ever since kindergarten. She never even got chicken pox that year when the rest of the class had it."

"You didn't either," she reminded him. "Oh, and I can't walk home with you today. The homecoming committee is having a meeting after school, and I don't know how long it'll take."

Naruto grinned. "All right, but be careful. We don't want you to disappear like Hinata!"

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted just as he dashed into their classroom.

The bell rang, and she let out a groan before following her best friend.

--------

Sakura shivered slightly. She hated walking home alone, and she knew that Naruto would have waited for her if she'd asked, no matter how long the meeting took. But she hated asking him to do things like that.

So she walked home by herself, her dark red jacket shielding her from most of the autumn wind but doing nothing for her inexplicable sense of foreboding.

The streets of her neighborhood were deserted, since the sun was setting. Konoha children were always inside before the sun went down. It wasn't something anyone questioned; it was just a fact. Sakura increased her pace, her eyes fixed firmly on the sidewalk. Suddenly she landed on her butt, her legs sprawled and the books she carried tumbling to the ground. Her green eyes narrowed as she looked up to glare at whoever had run into her only for them to widen again.

The young man that stood before her looked to be roughly her age and was easily the most attractive male she'd ever seen. His black hair was slightly messy, with the bangs hanging in his dark eyes and a substantial amount of it sticking up in the back. His skin was pale, but so was that of many people she knew. His clothes appeared to be slightly old-fashioned; perhaps it was the uniform of the local private school. She didn't know anyone who went there, so she wasn't sure. The strangest thing about him was the complete non-expression on his face. It was as neutral as a rock. Sakura realized that he was holding out a hand to help her up. She took it and nearly gasped at the coolness of his touch.

"You should watch where you're going." His voice was as cold as his fingers. As soon as Sakura was standing, he pulled his hand back. Putting both of his hands in his pockets, he continued walking past her. She watched him go for several minutes until her cell phone rang. She scrambled to answer it. "Hello?" she said breathlessly.

It was her mother, telling her to hurry home.

--------

Neji Hyuuga's pale eyes narrowed. "You're sure it was him, Tenten?" he said into his cell phone. He glanced quickly at the open door, making sure his uncle hadn't sent any of the servants to spy on him.

"I've seen his face enough times to know," Tenten replied. "Besides, Lee saw him too. He likes that Haruno girl; as if we needed more reason to hunt down the last of the Uchiha clan."

Neji sank down onto a cushion, his position perfectly suited to his traditional clothes. "What I want to know is what he was doing in that neighborhood at all."

Tenten, several miles away, leaned against a brick building, observing her surroundings and the location of her teammates carefully. "As far as we could tell, absolutely nothing. He was just walking around. The only time he stopped was when the girl ran into him."

Neji frowned. "Did he say anything to her?"

"I think so. She looked surprised afterwards, not that _that_ means anything. She probably just fell for his pretty face."

"Hn," was Neji's eloquent reply. "When are you coming home?"

Tenten smiled. "Soon. We already got two feeders. The victims didn't lose much blood, so they should be okay. We'd have gotten them faster if you were here."

Neji rolled his eyes. "Hiashi prefers I stay out of the hunts after what happened to Hinata. He's halted Hanabi's training altogether."

"I bet she doesn't like that," Tenten said, thinking of Neji's younger cousin's devotion to family duties. It nearly rivaled Neji's own.

"She's repeated everything he ever said about Hinata being weak. I'm not sure she even cares that her sister is gone."

Tenten sighed. "Guess this means I'm stuck with Lee and Gai until Hiashi lets you out again. I miss you already." She knew Neji would catch the double meaning in her statement.

"Be safe," Neji warned. "Mindless feeders aren't the only ones prowling. The real vampires took my cousin. Don't let them take you."

Tenten laughed. "As if I'd 'let' anyone take me anywhere. Not on your life, Neji Hyuuga. I'll see you when I get back." She hung up.

Neji closed his cell phone. He hated sitting around like this. He was ready to get back in the field, back to the hunt. It was his duty as a Hyuuga. It didn't hurt that he personally wanted to end the existence of all vampires, particularly that of Sasuke Uchiha.

--------

The sun was rising outside when the dark-haired boy let himself into the underground compound that served as hideout for the small group of vampires that continued to elude the hunters of the Hyuuga family.

Sasuke expressed no surprise when the tall, thin gray-haired man with a mask covering the lower half of his face stepped out of the shadows of the complex's library. It was hard to say which of them spent more time in this room.

"You're rather late getting home, Sasuke," the man said casually, his eyes on an orange book he always carried around with him.

Sasuke didn't bother to turn the lights on or look at the man. "I don't see what business it is of yours, Kakashi."

Kakashi shrugged, his mismatched eyes glinting in the darkness as he watched the boy he'd practically raised since the destruction of the Uchiha clan two hundred years ago. "I suppose it isn't. The others did express some amount of concern, though."

Sasuke pulled a book off a random shelf and glanced at the title. _Interview With The Vampire_. "Hmph. Your taste in books is absurd, you know that?"

Kakashi may have smiled, but his mask made it difficult to tell. "As a matter of fact, that series was an acquisition of Kurenai's. She thought it might tempt our newest member's intelligent side."

"If the girl wants to sit in her room alone all day, let her. It's her own fault if she starves," was Sasuke's cold reply.

"Actually, she's adjusting rather well, considering the situation. Kurenai took her out with Kiba and Shino last night."

"As long as that werewolf stays in during the full moon, I really don't care."

Kakashi shook his head slowly. "So antisocial this morning. I'll leave you to your reading, then." He vanished back into the darkness.

Sasuke frowned at the book he still held before replacing it on the shelf and leaving the library.

---End Chapter One---

So, please leave any questions, comments, praises, or problems in a review, and I'll try to either reply or reveal the answer in a future chapter. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	2. Hello, Little Girl

I really meant to update this last night, since I finished writing the chapter on Sunday (a fairly impressive feat for lazy me, considering I re-wrote a good deal of it and added another third or so), but due to various things… I didn't. So I'm updating now, with the hopes that you'll forgive me. Also, this delay is not a long one for me. My current record is… six or seven months. I'll try not to do that with this story, though. So, now that the chapter is here, substantially longer than the first one, and I'm already working on the next one, enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

**Bloodline**

---Chapter Two: Hello, Little Girl---

"Lee."

The thin, dark-haired boy looked up from his copy of _Sports Illustrated_ to meet the pale eyes of Neji Hyuuga.

"Yes, Neji?"

"Tenten says you have a crush on Sakura Haruno."

Lee's cheeks turned pink. "There are times when I wish that Tenten did not tell you everything."

"She also said that the two of you saw the Haruno girl talking to Sasuke Uchiha last night. I want you to find out how well she actually knows him."

--------

"It was really weird, though. He just came out of nowhere."

Naruto took a bite of his sandwich. "I don't see what the big deal is," he said around his mouthful of half-chewed bread and meat. "He probably lives in the neighborhood. What did he look like?"

Sakura sighed in annoyance. "I told you, he had dark hair and eyes, really pale skin, and he was wearing old-fashioned clothes."

"Sakura! I was not aware that you were acquainted with Sasuke." Rock Lee slid into the seat next to Naruto. The other two stared at him. Lee usually hung out with Neji Hyuuga and Tenten, though he'd spoken to them on occasion. Still, all three were seniors and barely associated with the others of their class, much less random juniors. Especially at lunch time, when everyone in the school divided into their proper clique and stayed there.

"Huh? His name's Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"Yes… did you not know?" Lee looked guilty, as though he had let an important piece of information slip.

"I didn't know anything about the guy; I just ran into him on my way home last night. Do you know him, Lee?"

This time his expression darkened considerably. He almost looked angry. "We have met before. He is not the type that you should associate with. Please excuse me." Lee stood up and walked away. Sakura and Naruto watched him go for a moment before turning to face each other again.

"What do you think's eating Bushy-Brows?"

"Don't call him that!" Sakura snapped. "It's rude."

"It's not like you _like_ him or anything… you're too busy thinking about that Sasuke guy."

"That's not the point; it's still rude to call people names."

Suddenly his index finger was in her face. "Hah! So you do like the mysterious Sasuke!"

Sakura blushed fiercely. "I didn't say that! I don't even know him!"

"You didn't deny it either!"

"Naruto!"

--------

"She doesn't know anything," Lee told his waiting teammates. "She didn't even know his name."

--------

That afternoon Sakura and Naruto walked home together, arguing as the usually did. Normally they would split at a certain street corner. Sakura would go left, and Naruto would go right. Today there was someone standing on the sidewalk to the left. He wasn't in Sakura's way, so she barely glanced at him as she passed. Had she looked closer, she might have noticed his feral grin- complete with fangs. But she didn't. She didn't even get the chance to scream as he covered her mouth with a hand and pulled her into a nearby alley.

Naruto, walking in the opposite direction, turned around as a thought occurred to him. "Hey, Sakura, what would you say if…" He frowned and forgot what he was going to ask, because Sakura was no longer there.

--------

Sasuke mentally uttered several epithets that in most company would have elicited several gasps of horror. In his head, it didn't matter. He should have known some idiot itching to climb the ladder of the vampiric hierarchy would do something like this. Never mind the fact that he didn't even know the girl. They had been seen together; for anyone who didn't already know Sasuke that would be enough. Why was he bothering to save her? She didn't mean anything to him. But enough innocent blood had been spilt on his behalf. Saving this girl might help, somehow.

He followed them into the alley and found the vampire holding the girl awkwardly, her throat exposed. He was leaning down, his mouth wide open and the fangs now clearly visible. Sasuke recognized him now; one of the few survivors of the purges not with his group. The creature went by the name of Zaku Abumi and hung with vampires that Sasuke, as a member of the elite Uchiha clan, considered worse than scum.

"What do you think you're doing, lowlife?"

Sakura nearly sobbed in relief at the sound of the new voice, if only because the vampire loosened his hold on her to look at the owner of the voice. His grip was still too strong for her to escape, and she couldn't turn enough to see the newcomer herself.

Zaku looked up and grinned. "Uchiha," he nearly purred. "You're just in time to watch me drain this lovely young lady dry."

Sakura whimpered in fear.

"There's no reason to get her involved," the person she couldn't see said. The voice was male, youngish-sounding, and she was sure she'd heard it before. Then it hit her. It was the boy she'd run into yesterday- Sasuke, Lee had called him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura called pleadingly, not knowing if it would make a difference. "Help me, please!"

"None of that," Zaku said. He made a strange noise, and Sakura felt herself slipping away into darkness.

Sasuke mentally swore again as the girl swooned in the other vampire's arms. The sound technique was rare, and made feeding much easier for those who knew it. It knocked humans unconscious for at least an hour, far more time than any vampire needed to take their victims life.

"Sakura!" shouted another male voice. A blond boy ran into the alley, and Sasuke had to grab him by his shirt collar as he passed to stop him. "Don't be stupid," Sasuke hissed. "He could kill you without a second thought."

"But… Sakura…" the boy practically whined.

"Just shut up and stay out of things you don't understand."

"No way! Sakura's my best friend! I'm not gonna sit here and -mmph!" He was cut off when Sasuke smacked his hand over the blond's mouth.

"I'm only going to tell you once, Abumi. Let the girl go."

"Or what, Uchiha?" He lowered his head once more, clearly going for Sakura's neck.

"Hold it!" a female voice shouted just as a kunai flew past Sasuke and grazed Zaku's cheek. The vampire looked up, blood dripping down his face, and his eyes narrowed. "Hyuuga," he whispered. His eyes widened as a stake, flung in his direction by the same person who'd thrown the kunai, struck his chest. Then he vanished, turning to dust. Sasuke darted forward to catch Sakura before she hit the ground.

Naruto turned around. The angle of the setting sun made it nearly impossible to positively identify the two figures at the entrance to the alleyway.

"Damn," the girl who'd thrown the kunai and the stake said. "Uchiha got away."

"Huh?" Naruto realized that Sasuke was also gone and Sakura was no where to be found. "Gah! That bastard took Sakura!"

"Sakura? The Uchiha dared to kidnap the loveliest of Konoha's flowers?" another male voice cried.

Naruto blinked and stepped out of the alley and into the fading sunlight. "Lee?"

"Ah! Naruto! The vampire Sasuke Uchiha has committed the most heinous of crimes in stealing our dear Sakura! Come; join us in our quest to- ulp!" Lee stumbled as the girl whacked him on the back of the head. Naruto recognized her now as Tenten, who usually hung out with Lee and Neji Hyuuga at school.

"Wait, what? The guy that took Sakura was a vampire?"

Tenten sighed and shook her head. "You're coming with us, kid," she said as Lee rubbed the spot where she'd hit him. "The head of the Hyuuga family is going to want to hear about this."

--------

As Sasuke entered the complex's library, he was almost glad (for once) to see it occupied.

"Ino."

A thin girl with pale blonde hair and light blue eyes looked up from the magazine she'd been perusing. "Hm? Oh, Sasuke! Where have you been? We were getting worried."

"Shut up and find Kakashi and Kurenai. The Hyuugas just took out Zaku Abumi."

Ino's eyes widened not only at Sasuke's words but at the sight of the unconscious girl in his arms. "Abumi was a bag of douche. Who's she?"

"The human Abumi was attacking when the Hyuugas showed up. I thought I told you to find Kakashi."

Ino stood and left the room to search the deeper hollows of the hideout without another word, though not without a distinctly annoyed look on her face.

"And see if Shikamaru's around while you're at it," Sasuke called as an afterthought.

"No need," a bored-sounding voice said from his right. A teenager with his dark hair pulled back in a high, stiff ponytail and sleepy-looking dark eyes was leaning against the wall near the doorframe.

Sasuke, to his credit, was not startled by the other young man's apparently sudden appearance. "I'm going to assume you heard me talking to Ino. Do you know this girl?" he asked instead, pushing Ino's magazine off the nearby table and putting Sakura on it.

Shikamaru looked the girl over briefly. "Sakura Haruno, junior at Konoha High. Hangs around with Naruto Uzumaki, though you'd think she'd have better sense. She gets top grades."

"Her friend… is he a loud, blond idiot?"

"That's a pretty accurate description."

"He was there when Abumi attacked _her_. He's probably with the Hyuugas now."

Shikamaru sighed. "Great," he drawled. "More fun for the double agent. Sometimes I wish I were a vampire like the rest of you just so I wouldn't have to do this."

"If that were the case, the Hyuuga family would have a great deal less work to do," Kakashi said, entering the room just as Shikamaru turned to leave. "It certainly hasn't hurt any of us to have a human friend in their employ."

"I don't consider him a friend," Sasuke muttered.

"The feeling's mutual," Shikamaru said. "I only stick around because of Chouji." He checked his watch. "I'd better go if I want a few hours of sleep before school. I'll handle the Hyuuga issue, but I make no promises about the Uzumaki kid." He left.

Kakashi turned to Sasuke. "What happened? Ino merely said you brought home a girl. While I must admit that I'm extremely proud of you, as your guardian I also must express some concern with your methods."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's not like that, pervert. She was attacked and it was either bring her here or leave her in the hands of the Hyuugas."

"She was bitten, then?"

Sasuke looked away. "No."

"Then it wouldn't have mattered if you left her to the Hyuugas."

"Just… just put her in the bedroom next to Hinata's and find some other clothes for her, will you? I'm going out again."

Kakashi shook his head as Sasuke left. "That boy… I don't know what I'm going to do with him."

--------

"The Uchiha was there?" Neji looked up sharply. "Are you all right?"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. We didn't fight him; he ran away before we got the chance."

Neji relaxed. "Hn."

Tenten glanced at the door to the head of the Hyuuga family's office, where Hiashi was now questioning Naruto and Lee. She was exempt from such things, by virtue of her position in the family. Besides, the only difference between a report from her and one from Lee would be the exact wording and the amount of exclamation points. She turned back to Neji, who was sitting in a chair across from hers. The fairly narrow hallway outside the head of the family's office was set up rather like a waiting room. "Just because we're supposed to get married doesn't mean you have to be overprotective, Neji."

He frowned and looked away. "I know."

She hid her smirk. She could still remember the day, ten years ago, when a hunter from the Hyuuga family took her from the ruins of her home and into the world she now knew. Her parents had been killed by a pair of vampires, who were in turn destroyed in the fire that demolished her house. Only Tenten survived, and the Hyuuga family took her in. They trained her as though she were one of them, and when she and Neji were twelve, it was arranged that they would marry someday. She had learned, by then, that all marriages for the Hyuugas were arranged. She didn't mind; she and Neji had been close as children and were on through their teens. She loved him, and though he had yet to say it, she knew he loved her in his own way. Duty to the family just came first.

The door to Hiashi's office slid open. Naruto and Lee emerged, the former appearing annoyed and the latter troubled. Tenten and Neji looked at their teammate expectantly.

"Naruto has asked to learn the art of the hunt, and Hiashi has agreed under the condition that he remain here, as we do." Lee paused. "He also wished me to tell you that he is sending for reinforcements from Suna."

Neji's eyes narrowed. "We don't need help from another hunting family, especially _that_ one."

Tenten sat back and crossed her arms. "Sounds like we're getting it anyway."

Shikamaru stepped into the narrow and already crowded hallway, drawing all eyes to him. He grimaced. "What'd I miss?"

---End Chapter Two---

Yep, the Sand sibs are coming in Chapter Three. Zaku's inclusion was random inspiration, since I was originally going to get Itachi involved in this story before I decided I didn't like the way I was portraying him and it was just too troublesome. Certain elements of certain character's (coughInocough) dialogue come from my own daily speech. The Neji and Tenten thing… yeah, it is what it is and it's not going to change. If you have any other questions about events in this chapter, leave them in a review and I'll try to answer as best I can (assuming it doesn't ruin future plot developments). Thanks for reading, and please review!


	3. I Guess This Is Goodbye

Technically I've had this chapter done for about a week, but I wasn't completely satisfied with it. I'm still not sure if I am, but I'm posting it anyway. I will warn you now: Sasuke and Sakura are not actually in this chapter. They're mentioned, but they make no appearances. That's because the next chapter (possibly the next two) are focusing mainly on them. Naruto, the Sand Sibs, Team Gai, and Shikamaru are getting most of the love for this chapter, though. Oh, and there is a bad word. Enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

**Bloodline**

---Chapter Three: I Guess This Is Goodbye---

Naruto grunted as he punched and kicked, his hatred of the orange tracksuit he was forced to wear increasing with each passing minute. It was, unfortunately, the only thing available at the Hyuuga manor in his size. Shikamaru, who was supposed to be his opponent, made no attempt to counter-attack but instead dodged every potential hit with ease. Gai and Lee watched them, the former unusually calm and the latter shouting ineffectual words of encouragement. Gai had taught Lee, Neji, Tenten, and Shikamaru everything they knew about hunting supernatural creatures. It was only at Hiashi's insistence (well, vague approval) that he had agreed to teach Naruto. Right now, he was assessing the blond's skills. Naruto supposed the orange tracksuit was better than the green jumpsuits Gai and Lee sported, but they actually seemed to like them. Neji and Tenten (who, like Shikamaru, got to wear more normal-looking clothes) had been sent to another training room to do their own sparring.

"Enough," Gai called finally. Naruto ceased his attack, panting as he bent over and put his hands on his knees. Shikamaru took one of his hands out of his pockets to cover his mouth as he yawned.

"Where did you learn those moves?" Gai asked Naruto.

The boy fought to catch his breath. "I took karate for six years. I had to quit last year though, so I'm out of practice."

Gai smirked. "Don't kid yourself. Shikamaru here is the slowest of our little group, and that is only because he is lacking in youthful motivation. Why did you quit?"

Naruto looked away, still breathing hard. "Couldn't afford lessons anymore," he replied evasively.

Gai studied him for a moment. "Hmph. Lee!" He snapped his fingers.

Lee saluted his teacher. "Yes, Gai-sensei?"

"I will put you in charge of Naruto's endurance training. Start him off with laps, and start slow."

"Yes, Gai-sensei! Come, Naruto! We will run a hundred laps around the Hyuuga manor!"

Naruto gaped at the older boy. "What?! He said start slow!"

Lee lost his gleeful look for a moment, trading it for one of slight confusion. "I am. I run five hundred laps around the building every morning, and another five hundred every afternoon."

Naruto blinked. "Oh. Well… fuck."

"Such foul and un-youthful language!" Gai roared. "Fifty more laps!"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but Shikamaru cut him off. "Just do it before he adds more."

"Shikamaru! Fifty laps for you as well!"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Sorry, can't. Neji, Tenten, Lee, and I are supposed to 'help' Hiashi 'greet' the hunters from Suna in about five minutes."

Lee gasped in horror. "Gai-sensei, forgive me! I shall run laps with Naruto after the meeting. In fact, we shall run fifty more to make up for the delay!"

"What?! But that's…"

"Excellent idea, Lee! And in the meantime, I will help Naruto improve the moves he already knows by having him repeat each punch and kick a hundred times."

"What?!" Naruto shrieked again.

He was ignored.

"Brilliant, Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

Shikamaru just shook his head at the display. "Will you two shut up? We're gonna be late if you don't."

He was jolted out of his standard apathetic stance by Lee grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the room at a sudden run. "Never fear, Shikamaru! We shall reach Hiashi's office on time!"

Naruto twitched and silently bid normal life, where his biggest worry had been math tests, a fond farewell.

--------

"Who did Suna send?" Neji asked his uncle once the four seventeen-year-olds were seated. Lee and Tenten watched the head of the Hyuuga clan expectantly, but Shikamaru looked instead at the three unoccupied cushions in front of Hiashi's low desk. Even after two years, the Hyuugas' Spartan-Japanese style irked him.

"They sent a trio of siblings reputed to be their very best. Each of the Sabaku siblings has more recorded kills than most of our other hunters put together."

The door slid open and a servant peered in. "Excuse me, sir, but the hunters from Suna have arrived."

Hiashi nodded. "Send them in."

Shikamaru watched in vague, almost non-interest as the trio entered Hiashi's office. There were two boys and a girl. The girl was clearly the oldest, with sandy-blonde hair in four stiff pigtails. The older-looking boy wore a black hooded sweatshirt, hiding his hair color. The youngest had dark red hair and a stoic look that was more impressive than Neji's. The girl noticed Shikamaru watching them and raised an eyebrow at him, but he felt no need to return the gesture. The siblings took their seats, and only the older boy glanced at Neji, Tenten, and Lee sitting on cushions along the wall. Shikamaru sat on the cushion farthest from Hiashi and nearest the door.

"First, introductions," Hiashi announced once the siblings were seated. "I am Hiashi Hyuuga, head of the Hyuuga family. This is Neji Hyuuga, my nephew, his betrothed, Tenten, and their classmates, Rock Lee and Shikamaru Nara. You are Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara Sabaku."

He gestured at each of the siblings as he said their names, and they nodded their confirmation. Hiashi put his hands down on his desk. "We are pleased that you have come and welcome you to Konoha. Now that the niceties have been taken care of, we shall get to business. I have contacted your family and asked that you come here due to the increasing vampire presence in Konoha," he said, addressing the siblings from Suna without looking at them. Instead he focused on the tea cup sitting on the table in front of him. "Normally our family would be more than capable of dealing with the creatures, but… thanks to unforeseen circumstances, our number of truly skilled hunters has been greatly reduced in the past few generations. The four you see, as well as their teacher, are the best we have."

Shikamaru was mildly surprised at being considered one of the best hunters associated with the Hyuuga family, given the fact that he'd never indicated that he really took to the things they'd taught him. He was sure he heard Kankuro snort as he glanced over at Lee. Temari elbowed him, and Shikamaru had to suppress a small smirk.

Hiashi continued. "My eldest daughter was recently captured by a band of vampires led by the last remnant of the Uchiha clan. That particular vampire has also kidnapped a local girl with no links or associations to any of the hunting families. Our goal is to retrieve the girls and destroy the vampires of that group."

Temari glanced at her youngest brother, who nodded ever-so-slightly. "How are much we getting paid?" she asked.

Hiashi slid a piece of paper across the low table. "I believe this sum to be adequate." It was Gaara who took the paper, despite the fact that his sister had asked the question. He glanced at it, nodded again, and pocketed the slip.

"Good. Lee, I would like you to show Gaara and Kankuro to their rooms." Lee bowed low before standing, and the two brothers rose as he did. "Shikamaru, I am placing Temari in your care."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he got up to leave. Temari followed him, her expression clearly one of disdain. Shikamaru actually had to resist the urge to smirk. At least the feeling was mutual.

--------

It didn't take the Sabaku siblings very long to memorize the entire layout of the Hyuuga manor, and after they'd done so, they gathered in Temari's room. The furnishings were simple yet elegant, and rather less comfortable than the ones they had at home.

Temari sat on her bed with her legs crossed, noting with slight satisfaction that she wrinkled the perfectly-pressed sheets as she did so. Kankuro flopped down onto a dark-upholstered armchair, nearly blending in with it. Gaara leaned against the door, ensuring that no one would take them by surprise, and crossed his arms. The three were silent for a moment.

"Was the one in green as stupid as he looked?" Temari asked.

Kankuro laughed. "Pretty much. How 'bout the lazy guy?"

Temari snorted. "He's not stupid, that's for damn sure. What do you think about this place, Gaara?"

"The lazy one is the only one that doesn't want to go after the last of the Uchiha clan personally," Gaara said.

Kankuro's expression grew serious. "Quite a secret these Hyuugas have been keeping. I thought the entire Uchiha clan was destroyed a hundred and fifty years ago."

Temari shrugged. "Apparently they missed one. The odds that either of those girls are still alive are practically nil."

Her brothers said nothing, but silently they agreed with her.

--------

That evening after dinner, Naruto returned to the training room alone, resigned to the fact that extra work was necessary if he hoped to reach the skill level he needed to rescue Sakura. He punched the training dummy, rocking it slightly on its stand.

"You're determined, but punching won't do you much good on a real hunt."

Naruto whirled around at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, only to find a red-haired boy watching him with dark-ringed blue-green eyes. "Who are you?" the blond blurted. He'd seen the three hunters from Suna at dinner, but he couldn't remember their names.

"Gaara," was the simple response. "You?"

"Naruto Uzumaki," he said with a scowl. "So what are you doing in here? This is a private training room for Gai's students."

Gaara blinked slowly, and Naruto realized he had no eyebrows. "The head of the Hyuuga family gave us permission to use this room, but my brother and sister have even less interest than I do."

Naruto's frown deepened. "Why watch me, then?"

Gaara's expression didn't change, and it was starting to unnerve the other boy. "I wanted to see how the Hyuugas fight."

Naruto shook his head. "You picked the wrong person if that's what you wanted. I'm not a Hyuuga and I just got here yesterday."

"Why are you here?"

Naruto's expression darkened more. "Vampires took my best friend. I'm going to get her back or die trying."

"That's likely to happen if all you know how to do is punch," Gaara scoffed.

Naruto grunted, annoyed. "I'm supposed to start weapons training tomorrow."

"Why wait?" a female voice said from the doorway. Gaara's sandy-haired older sister entered the training room. "The sooner you start, the more you'll learn, right?"

"I don't care about how much I learn; I just want to be good at it."

Temari laughed. "By the time I'm done with you, kid, you will be."

After an hour of throwing kunai at the targets on the wall, Temari told Naruto that while his strength was decent, his accuracy left much to be desired. Her exact words were "your aim sucks."

Gaara simply watched as Temari taught Naruto, perfectly aware of an extra pair of dark eyes observing the lesson.

And so the next day, when Naruto threw a kunai that hit the target dead center and impressed even Tenten, Shikamaru smirked.

---End Chapter Three---

Shika's a sneaky boy, huh? Yes, I put Naruto in the orange suit for absolutely no reason other than that it amused me. Well, I hope you're happy with this update, and I hope to see you all next chapter. Thanks for reading, and please review!


	4. Maybe They're Magic

I'm back from Christmas break with nearly unlimited computer access until May! Aren't you guys happy? And I finished the next three chapters of this fic! So, I'll probably be updating about once a week, to give myself time too finish more chapters and do homework and stuff.

On a slightly different note, I should probably stop mentioning my writing process for the next chapter before I do it, since I keep changing my mind. In other words, this chapter is not the SasuSaku goodness I keep making you guys wait for. It's actually a whole lot of Shikamaru and Temari annoying the hell out of each other. And some NejiTen, because I could. I hope you enjoy it anyway, because we _do_ return to what's happening with Sakura in the next chapter. Enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

**Bloodline**

--Chapter Four: Maybe They're Magic--

The next morning Neji and Tenten once more sat on cushions in front of Hiashi, though this time they were his only guests. They waited patiently for him to begin; both suspected they were summoned because of something that had to do with their engagement.

"Neji, Tenten, I have asked you two here this morning because I have some rather important matters to discuss with the two of you."

The pair exchanged glances.

"Your official engagement has been set for next spring," Hiashi said. "The wedding will follow six months later, to give the family enough time to plan it. Is that acceptable to both of you?" The question was pointless, since this had been arranged for nearly seven years, but formalities required that Hiashi ask.

Tenten glanced at Neji. The official date of their engagement would fall near her eighteenth birthday. His hand left his side and reached for hers, which he squeezed gently. "It is more than acceptable," the Hyuuga boy said quietly. The rules of the marriage agreement required him to give that answer, but Tenten knew he meant it and she smiled a little to herself.

"More urgent is the matter of the future of this family," Hiashi continued. "As both of you know, Hinata was to succeed me as head of the Hyuugas upon my eventual death. I had hoped she would grow into the role, but that is no longer an option. Hanabi, talented though she may be, does not have the temperament for the job. This brings me to you, Neji. You are my brother's son. You have proven yourself time and time again in the hunts. You understand the politics between the Hyuugas and other hunting families, such as that of Suna. With you the family's position is once again secured. Therefore, I have decided to make you my official heir."

Neji had been keeping his eyes down out of respect, but now he nearly snapped his own neck as his head shot up for him to stare at his uncle. "You're serious?"

Hiashi smiled. "You do _want_ this, don't you?"

Neji collected himself, clearing his throat and lowering his head again. "Of course, Uncle. Forgive me. I am grateful for the honor you bestow upon me." He glanced at Tenten. "Upon both of us."

A tiny smile appeared on Hiashi's face. "Good. I will see you two later, then."

"Yes sir." The two rose in unison, bowed, and exited the room.

"Heir to the Hyuuga family," Neji whispered as soon as the door to Hiashi's study was shut. "I never believed it possible."

"It's what you always wanted though, isn't it?" Tenten asked, squeezing his hand as he had hers. "I know I should feel bad about Hinata, but I can't help feeling happy for you."

Neji's expression darkened slightly. "Hinata is either dead or one of _them_, Tenten. This is destiny."

It was his destiny to marry Tenten, and it was his destiny to become head of the Hyuuga family. Now all Neji had to do was free Konoha from the menace known as vampires, and his destiny would be complete.

--

"Today you will be sparring with each other," Gai announced to the training room full of teenagers. "Hiashi wants a measure of everyone's skills so he can arrange hunting teams accordingly."

Hiashi, sitting on a cushion in the corner of the room, nodded his approval. His expression was passive, for he was only there to observe.

Gai felt unusually uncomfortable. He had plenty of confidence in the abilities of Neji, Tenten, and especially Lee; even Naruto had improved enough to take on Neji (he couldn't win, but he could at least hold his own for a while). But those Sabaku siblings… Temari was every bit as smart as Shikamaru, but without an ounce of laziness. Kankuro, though he didn't look it, was clever and versatile. Gaara… Gaara had a deadpan and numerous skills greater than Neji's. Gai didn't expect anything really bad to happen during sparring, but he was still just a little concerned. "The first match-up will be Temari and Tenten."

Tenten smiled confidently.

Temari smirked.

--

"Vicious thing, aren't you?" Shikamaru leaned against the doorway of Temari's bedroom a few hours later.

"A huntress has to be," she replied calmly, sitting on her bed as she polished a small metal fan. She glanced up at him. "What's it to you?"

Shikamaru snorted. "Nothing. I was just stating an observation. Hiashi was impressed with your skills, but not your attitude. Now that Neji's his heir, which makes Tenten the future mistress of the household, Hiashi expects everyone- including you and your brothers- to treat both of them accordingly."

"I'll treat her with respect when she earns it," Temari said sharply. "That performance today was pitiful."

Shikamaru shook his head. "She expected to just be sparring. You treated it like a real fight."

"That's because it does no good to have 'pretend fights'. The vampires aren't going to go easy on us in battle, so we shouldn't go easy on ourselves in training. Maybe the real reason the Hyuugas are reduced in numbers is that they're going soft."

He let out a short laugh. "Are you sure about that? I was paying attention during that fight. You roughed Tenten up pretty well, but you didn't break any bones. Maybe you're the one that's soft."

She glared at him. "I am not. If there really are only a few hunters left in the Hyuuga family, it wouldn't do anyone any favors to take one of the supposed best out of commission for however long it would take her bones to heal." She looked down at her fan again. "Besides, what I did was nothing compared to what Gaara would have done."

"Vicious runs in the family, then?"

"Something like that. Why are you even here?"

"Hiashi gave out the patrol assignments. You and I are together."

--

Tenten was not surprised, when she woke up, to find Neji sitting next to her bed. "It's not that bad," she reassured him. "I think she went easy on me."

"That's what makes it bad," the pale-eyed teen replied. "You were lucky she didn't break anything."

Tenten smiled, hoping it would make the crease that always appeared between Neji's eyebrows when he was worried go away. "I'm lucky it was her and not a vampire."

Instead the crease deepened. "Damn right you are," Neji said softly. "How many times do I have to remind you that I can't always be there to protect you?"

Tenten laughed. "You're such a jerk, Neji. You're lucky I like you."

The crease lessened considerably as Neji's expression reverted to his usual poker face. "You aren't going on the hunt tonight. Hiashi's orders."

Tenten sighed. "What else is new?" she muttered.

"Tomorrow night you and I are going together."

Wide brown eyes stared at him. "Seriously? Hiashi's letting you out again?"

"Yes, but only if you're healed enough to go. And in order for you to heal, you need to rest."

Tenten grinned. "Got it. I'm going back to sleep right now. You'll still be here when I wake up, won't you?"

Neji leaned back in his chair. "You knew the answer to that before you asked."

--

They started the hunt as soon as the sun went down. Naruto complained about being left behind (he was forbidden from the hunt until Gai declared him ready), Kankuro complained about being paired up with Gai, and Gaara gave Lee dirty looks as the green-clad hunter tried to start friendly conversations. For the first few hours after separating from everyone else Temari and Shikamaru worked in silence, but Temari eventually got annoyed with that.

She glanced at Shikamaru as they walked along the streets, the only light coming from the streetlamps since clouds obscured the moon and stars. "You're not like the others," she said. It wasn't a question.

"You're not likely to learn the full truth of that statement," he muttered.

"What's with the old man, putting all of us in groups? In Suna we hunt alone."

"Well, this is Konoha, not Suna. The 'old man' figures this way is safer."

"Why?" Temari scoffed. "It doesn't do him any good to not trust the people he's hired."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "It's not you he's got a problem trusting. His daughter was hunting alone when she was captured."

Temari knew she was starting to let her curiosity get the better of her, but she needed something other than silence to fill up the space between fights. "What's she like, this daughter of his?"

"Shy, quiet," Shikamaru replied. "A gentle spirit you don't see often among the Hyuugas. Pretty, I guess, in a soft, subtle sort of way."

Temari snorted. "Doesn't sound like a great vampire hunter."

Shikamaru smirked. "She wasn't. Not enough self-confidence, unlike you."

She glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're full of yourself," he told her.

"You're full of shit," she responded. "How does the old man even know she's still alive and not buried somewhere?"

"She was seen three nights after she disappeared in the company of two vampires and a werewolf."

Temari made a noise of disbelief. "You guys still have werewolves out here? Pathetic."

"Just the one," Shikamaru corrected. From anyone else it might have sounded defensive; with him it was merely statement of fact. "The rest were killed off ten years ago."

"Why not that one, then?"

"As far as we know, the vampires took him in. He was just a kid when the others were killed off. He's only attacked someone once, about two years after his clan was killed."

Temari pulled out a kunai and started twirling it, absorbing every bit of information Shikamaru was giving her. "So, back to the Hyuugas, then. What's with the arranged marriage thing for the long-haired punk and the weapons-chick?"

"Tenten was taken in by the Hyuugas when she was five. They basically raised her to be one of them, and when she and Neji were twelve the marriage was arranged. It's not as bad as it sounds, I guess; they at least like each other. The only reasons no such arrangement was made for Hinata are the facts that she _was_ Hiashi's heir and the choices were limited to me, Lee, and your brothers."

"From what you've said of Hinata, I wouldn't wish any of you on her."

"Thanks," Shikamaru said dryly.

"So what's your story? Another orphan, taken in by the oh-so-benevolent vampire-hunting family?"

To her surprise, Shikamaru's expression darkened. "No. I'm not an orphan."

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "That's all you're going to tell me?"

"Tch. You ask too many questions."

"Lazy-ass."

"Troublesome woman."

"Ooh, what an insult."

"Shh."

"Don't shush me, you-"

He clapped a hand over her mouth. "Use your ears, will you? Someone's coming." He removed his hand.

Temari was silent now, the kunai held properly and ready to throw.

"One more, Asuma?" a fairly young-sounding male voice complained. "I'm still hungry."

"You're always hungry," a female voice retorted.

"Just 'cause you practically starve yourself…"

"Enough, both of you," an older male voice interrupted. "No, Chouji; the sun will be up soon and neither of you are dressed for it."

Was it her imagination, Temari wondered, or did her erstwhile partner's face turn pale at the sound of these voices? "Three of them. Intelligent ones, too," she whispered to him.

"They could be human." He sounded ever-so-slightly desperate.

"At this time? The only humans out here are hunters, like us. Besides, the sun wouldn't matter to them if they were." She started to move forward, but he put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to glare at him. "What are you doing?" Temari hissed. "They're going to get away."

"Let them go. We've killed seven feeders already; Hiashi's got nothing to complain about."

"He will if he knows we let three real vampires walk away!"

"Who said he had to know?"

Temari stared at him. "There is something seriously off about you, Nara, and I'm going to find out what it is." She glanced into the alley again. "They're gone now. Are you happy?"

"No."

"Good, because I'm not either," Temari retorted.

Shikamaru sighed and started walking. "Troublesome woman."

"Oh, that's so creative, lazy-ass," she said with extreme sarcasm as she went after him. "I think I might start to hate you."

He kept walking. "I think I might continue not to care."

She pursed her lips. "I changed my mind. I do hate you."

"Still don't care."

Temari grinned. "Liar."

No one else had ever seen through Shikamaru's lies- and he'd told a lot of them in the past year or so- that quickly. Of course, he wasn't about to admit that she was right.

--End Chapter Four--

ShikaTem is my OTP, for which I will never apologize. But don't worry, the story still has SasuSaku. I already wrote the next two chapters, remember? It's there. So, I'll see you then, and please, please, please review!


	5. I Know Things Now

I'm really enjoying being so far ahead with this story… It doesn't happen often. So, at long last you get to find out about where the hell Sakura's been! Aren't you happy? You should be, since this _is_ supposed to be a SasuSaku story. ShikaTem just likes to take over from time to time. Without (much) further ado, enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

**Bloodline**

--Chapter Five: I Know Things Now--

Sakura opened her eyes and blinked in confusion at her surroundings. She was laying on a bed covered in scarlet velvet (who used velvet as a bed-covering in these times?) with matching sheer fabric hanging as a canopy and curtains around it.

It was so… old-fashioned.

Memories came flooding back, the chief image being Sasuke in his oddly out-of-date clothes. She sat up, ignoring the slight headache that instantly developed. Since the sheer- but not completely transparent- bed-curtains were closed, her body's new angle didn't alter her view of the room very much. She fumbled for the split in the curtains for a moment before she managed to part them and see the rest of the room. The impression it gave was that of "ruby", since the décor was not very different from that of the bed: dark cherry wood with upholstery in a deep red shade bordering on dark pink.

Sakura jumped at a knock on the door, and stared when it opened without her giving a response. A girl with long, platinum-blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail peered in. "I forgot how pink this room was," she murmured, a slight frown creasing the space between her eyebrows. Then she noticed Sakura staring at her. "Oh, so you're awake. This was the first time Kakashi wasn't standing by the door since you got here, and I was wondering what they were doing with you. Sasuke keeps leaving before anyone else wakes up and coming back after we're all asleep, so I couldn't ask him. Kakashi wouldn't answer any of my questions either."

Sakura continued to stare at her blankly.

The girl sat down on a chair more or less across from Sakura. "I'm Ino Yamanaka, by the way. Are you hungry? 'Cause if you are, you'll have to wait 'til Sasuke gets back and send him out again. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow."

Sakura blinked, trying to comprehend Ino's casual statements. "I'm Sakura Haruno," she said finally. "Why does the sun matter?"

"Well, Sasuke's the only one who can go out in the daylight, except for Shikamaru, but he's too lazy and nearly always has to do something with the Hyuugas anyway."

"The Hyuugas?"

Ino visibly stiffened. "Do you know them?"

Sakura shook her head. "Hinata Hyuuga and I are classmates, and Neji is a grade above us. That's all I know."

Ino brightened again. "Maybe you can get Hinata to cheer up a little! She's been so quiet ever since she got here." She jumped up, grabbed Sakura's hand, and started to tug the pink-haired girl toward the door.

"Wait!" Sakura protested. She pulled out of Ino's grasp. "What is going on here? What is this place? Why am I here? Why is Hinata Hyuuga here when her cousin says she's sick? None of it makes any sense!"

"I'm afraid there aren't any easy answers to your questions," a male voice said from the doorway.

Both girls turned in that direction, startled by the appearance of a gray-haired, scarecrow-like man dressed in black. Sakura stared at him, while Ino seemed to relax. "Hi, Kakashi. Is Sasuke back, since you're here?"

"No, Ino. I believe I told you to stay out of this room."

Ino lifted her chin defiantly. "Yeah, but I saw Sakura when she came in. It's not fair to keep her locked up in here when she doesn't even know what's going on. And she knows Hinata!"

Kakashi looked mildly surprised. "Does she now? I'm afraid Hinata has already gone to bed for the night. Shouldn't you be getting to sleep soon too? The sun will be up in less than an hour."

Ino sighed. "I guess… I'll see you later, okay Sakura? We'll go talk to Hinata then." The blonde left.

Kakashi dumped the pile of clothing he was carrying onto the chair Ino had vacated moments before. "Sasuke asked me to find some more clothes for you, but I neglected it until tonight."

"Who are you?" Sakura blurted.

Kakashi smiled, or seemed to. The mask covering the lower half of his face made it hard to tell. "You insist on asking difficult questions, don't you? Suffice it to say that my name is Kakashi Hatake. I have no intention of hurting you, and I will answer any other questions you have as best I can. Will that do?"

"Sure," Sakura replied, even though she was no less confused than before. "Um… how long have I been here?"

"About a week. You've been asleep or unconscious for most of that time."

"A week?!" Sakura repeated at a much higher pitch. "My mom must be worried sick… and I've missed school all that time; I'm gonna fall behind and that's gonna screw up my GPA! Please, I have to go home _now_."

"I'm afraid that's not possible."

"What do you mean 'that's not possible'?!" Sakura shouted, panicking. "You can't just keep me here!"

Kakashi casually stuck a finger in his ear. "I'll have to ask you to keep your voice down. There's a week's worth of people sleeping in the other rooms, assuming Ino did as I told her and hasn't woken anyone up to gossip about you. I'd like to get some sleep myself."

Sakura didn't hear that last statement. "Seven people? Why? Why do you all live here- wherever here is?" She remembered Ino's reaction to her mention of Neji. "Does it have something to do with the Hyuugas?"

Kakashi sighed. "As a matter of fact it does. The Hyuuga family is known to hunt vampires. Thus, we must hide from them. This compound is well-hidden."

"Wait, so you're all vampires?" Sakura took a step back.

"Well, most of us are vampires. Kiba is a werewolf, but we try not to hold it against him."

"Then that means Sasuke…" She sank down onto the bed again. "Sasuke…"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'll have to scold that boy. Honestly, bringing home a girl without telling her that he's a vampire."

Sakura glared at him. "This isn't funny! I'm being held here against my will by a bunch of vampires, my mom probably thinks I'm dead or something, my grades are going to go down the toilet, and if I leave I'll be chased by a family of vampire hunters."

"That's a rather neat summary," Sasuke said from the doorway.

Sakura got to her feet quickly. "Sasuke!"

The younger vampire ignored her. "I'm going to bed, Kakashi."

"Tsk tsk, Sasuke. After all you've put this girl through, the least you could do is say hello to her."

Sasuke gave his guardian a dirty look before turning towards Sakura. "Hello." Then he glared at Kakashi again. "Happy now?"

"I believe you've stated on multiple occasions that I am never really satisfied with your actions, but that will do for now."

"Hn," was Sasuke's response. He left the room.

Kakashi sighed deeply. "Before I leave, Sakura, is there anything else you require? Anything within my power to give, that is."

The pink-haired girl shook her head.

"All right then. I don't know if any of those dresses are going to fit, since they all belonged to different Uchiha women. That scarlet one belonged to Sasuke's mother; it was her favorite. You can just give anything that doesn't fit to Ino; I'm sure she'll find something to do with them. There's a bathroom through there," he said, pointing at a door across the room that Sakura hadn't noticed before. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Sakura whispered as Kakashi closed her door.

--

"Really, Sasuke, there was no need to be so rude to her."

Sasuke was starting to wonder what the point of having a lock on his door was if Kakashi was going to not only ignore it but pick the lock every time he felt the need to say something. "Leave me alone, Kakashi."

Kakashi smirked. "Ah, I see the problem." The orange book appeared in the older vampire's hand. "You like her."

"I do not."

"No matter how often you tell yourself that, it doesn't make it true." He vanished.

Sasuke grimaced. He really, really hated when Kakashi did that.

--

The next time Sakura woke up, Ino's face was about two inches from hers. She shrieked, and the blonde sat back and pursed her lips.

"No need to be so loud about it."

Sakura shot a glare at her. "There was no need to be so close either."

Ino- who was wearing a fairly short, dark purple skirt with a matching, midriff-baring top, as opposed to the long, modest dress of the previous night- shrugged. "I guess not. You sleep like you've not had any in weeks. Come on, get dressed. We have to catch Hinata before Kurenai takes her out with Shino and Kiba."

"What do you mean, 'takes her out'? Do you mean to hunt?"

Ino made a face. "We don't like to call it that; that's what the Hyuugas call what they do. We prefer the phrase 'going out to eat'."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "That would be more reassuring if I didn't know what you were really talking about." She climbed out of the bed.

Ino waited impatiently as Sakura stared helplessly at the pile of clothes Kakashi had brought for her. When the pink-haired girl reached for something yellow, the blond made a noise of disapproval. "I'd tell you to just pick something, but with your coloring that wouldn't be a good idea. It _is_ a good thing Kakashi brought that stuff, though, since my things would be too small and everything Hinata has is blue or white." Ino climbed off the bed and shuffled through the pile. "These should have been hung up last night; now I have to find one that suits you _and_ isn't too wrinkled." She seized a scarlet gown with an empire waist and ankle-length skirt. "Here." She handed the dress to Sakura.

"But Kakashi said this one belonged to Sasuke's mother… Don't you think we should ask him if it's okay that I wear it first?"

Ino waved a hand dismissively. "You can ask him later. Besides, once you're wearing it, there's not much he can do, right?"

"I guess…"

"Good. Now change before I do it for you!"

"Ugh, fine, fine." Sakura took the dress and went into the bathroom. When she came out, Ino stared. Sakura sighed. "What?"

Ino grinned. "Nothing." She grabbed her new friend by the wrist. "Come on."

--End Chapter Five--

I wrote a chapter with no mention of the Sand Sibs whatsoever! Impressive, considering I've completely fallen in love with the trio ever since they made their first appearance in this story. But don't expect their non-appearance to last. And in the next chapter, Sakura and Ino actually get to talk to Hinata! Thanks for reading, and please review!


	6. A Very Nice Prince

I didn't plan on delaying this update so long, but classes and other events forced me to. But now, at last, you guys can have the next chapter! Unfortunately, this is the last chapter I've finished for the moment. So… I don't know when you're going to get the one after it, beyond that you will get it eventually. In the meantime, enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

**Bloodline**

--Chapter Six: A Very Nice Prince--

Ino knocked on a door several feet down the hall from Sakura's. "Hinata? It's Ino. I've brought someone to see you!" She opened the door without waiting for an answer, which Sakura guessed was a habit of hers. Ino pulled Sakura in behind her.

This room was as "sapphire" as Sakura's was "ruby"; she wondered vaguely if the theme of Ino's room was "amethyst."

The gauzy curtains around the bed in the center of the room were pulled back, and the girl sitting on it looked up from the book she'd been reading. Her long, dark blue hair, which had made a curtain around her face, shifted, revealing pale, small features and extremely light eyes. Though she and Sakura had been in the same classes for years, this was the first time they'd seen each other outside of school walls and uniforms. Sakura personally thought the difference- which included a knee-length, long-sleeved white dress- did Hinata quite a bit of good.

"Hi, Hinata," Sakura said with a smile. "It's… good to see you." That wasn't a lie, at least. It was nice to see someone familiar, even if that someone was now a vampire (according to Kakashi, anyway).

Hinata smiled back shyly. "It's nice to see you too, Sakura."

Ino squealed. "Oh, I knew you'd be even prettier when you smiled, Hinata! Sakura, I'm so glad Sasuke brought you here. Who knows how long Hinata would have been moping in her room?"

Hinata blushed. "I haven't been moping, Ino. I just didn't feel like going anywhere."

Ino grinned. "It amounts to the same thing, really."

There was a knock on the doorframe (since no one had bothered to shut the door) and the three girls turned to see a tall, dark-haired woman leaning against it. Two boys stood in the hallway behind her, one wearing a fur-trimmed blue hoodie and the other wearing a jacket with a collar that went up to his nose and sunglasses. The one in the hoodie had long red triangles on his cheeks and a somewhat feral (but not frightening) grin. "So that's the chick Uchiha brought home. Can't say I fault his taste."

The other boy, who was a few inches taller, smacked him. "Down, boy."

"Hey, Shino, that hurt!" the shorter one complained. Sakura could only assume, since Ino had mentioned their names, that he was Kiba, the werewolf.

"Deal with it," Shino replied, his barely-visible expression appearing not to change.

The woman just shook her head at the boys, obviously used to such antics. "Hinata, are you ready to go?"

The blue-haired girl got off her bed. "Yes, Kurenai." She turned to Sakura. "It really is good to see you again, even if these aren't the best of circumstances."

Sakura smiled. "You too."

Hinata left with Kurenai and the boys. Ino sighed. "I guess this means Asuma and Chouji will be coming for me soon."

"Why do you go out in groups, anyway?"

"Because of the Hyuugas, mostly. Though there are a few other things that would take on a lone vampire. It's just safer to not be alone."

"That makes sense. I should probably find Sasuke and ask about the dress, if you're leaving."

"He's usually in the library at this time of night. It's down the hall and to the right; it's the only room without an actual door. If Sasuke isn't in there, he will be eventually. There are plenty of books in there to pass the time, if you like that sort of thing." Ino lowered her voice to a more conspiratorial tone. "If you don't like the literary selection the library offers, I've got a box of fashion magazines under my bed. They're up-to-date, for the most part. My room's the one right across from yours. I'll see you when I get back, okay?"

Sakura laughed. "All right. See you in a few hours."

The girls parted ways.

--

Sasuke was in the library, and he was having trouble concentrating on "The Pit and the Pendulum." Usually he read Poe with ease, but tonight something just wasn't working.

Sakura was glad to find Sasuke in the library, just as Ino had said he would be. It was easier to ask him now than to wait until later. He was bent over a book, though, and she felt bad about disturbing him. It would only take a minute.

"Sasuke?" Sakura said tentatively, standing a few feet behind him.

He turned toward the direction of Sakura's voice, about to tell the girl to go back to her room and leave him alone, and then Sasuke froze. He was certain that whoever had given Sakura the dress she now wore (Kakashi, most likely) had failed to mention to the human girl that it had previously belonged to Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's mother. The deep red gown had a different effect when put with Sakura's hair and complexion than it had on dark-haired Mikoto, but Sasuke shocked himself by thinking it was no less beautiful. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought. "What?" he asked, perhaps a little more sharply than he meant to.

Sakura flinched. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he told her. He hated when people did that.

She was surprised. "What?"

Sasuke sighed mentally. "Where did you get that dress?"

Finally, something Sakura understood despite not knowing Sasuke well. "Kakashi brought several things for me to wear," she explained, "since Ino's clothes wouldn't fit me and none of Hinata's things would look right." According to Ino, anyway, but Sasuke didn't need to know that. "This one fit the best, but he said that it was your mother's. I wanted to make sure it was okay with you if I wore it."

Sasuke wasn't really listening. His hand brushed her cheek before either of them even realized he'd moved closer, and she gasped a little. His other hand pulled her to him, and then he kissed her.

Sakura had long imagined her ideal first kiss, knowing perfectly well that reality rarely measured up to fantasy. But this… this was even better that what she'd imagined. She leaned into the kiss eagerly.

Sasuke could feel more urges rising. He wanted to take her blood, he wanted to never stop kissing her, he wanted…

He pushed Sakura away. "You should leave."

Sakura blinked, trying to comprehend what he'd just said and done while her brain was still fuzzy from the kiss. "What?"

"I said leave!" he hissed.

That was clear, and it was all Sakura needed. "Fine. I won't wear your mother's dress. I'm sorry for disturbing you." She left the library.

Sasuke went back to his chair and sank into it, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "Shit," he murmured. Sakura had no idea of how close she'd come to serving as his dinner.

And why the hell had he kissed her in the first place?

--

"That lazy-ass is the most annoying and infuriating guy on the planet!" Temari groused as she sat down on her bed. The siblings had agreed that her room made the best place to meet after the hunts and discuss things.

Kankuro, sitting once again in the chair in the corner, groaned. "God help us, you _like_ him."

Temari glared at her younger brother. "I do not."

"Ugh, it's going to be revolting when you two get married and have kids. They'll probably call me 'Uncle Kankuro' and ask me to tell them fairy tales all the time."

"Kankuro, if you don't shut up-"

"Both of you shut up," Gaara said. He was leaning against the closet door instead of the main one. "If you keep yelling, someone will hear you."

Kankuro snorted. "They're all fast asleep; no one's going to hear anything. Or maybe you're just mad because you haven't gotten your chance to complain about the green-suited maniac? 'Cause I've got plenty of things to say about the teacher; the guy's a psycho."

Temari rolled her eyes. "Poor baby."

Gaara silenced Kankuro's retort with a glare. "Enough. To answer your question, Kankuro, Lee is… different. Most people would stop talking when the person they're trying to converse with doesn't respond. He keeps trying."

Kankuro and Temari both looked at their younger brother for a moment, since neither of them could remember the last time Gaara actually showed any interest in someone outside their family. Then Kankuro let loose another dramatic groan. "God help us, you _like_ him."

Temari tried to repress her snickering, but Kankuro was smirking and soon the two of them were laughing helplessly.

Gaara just rolled his eyes, but his posture stiffened when someone knocked on the door. Temari and Kankuro both regained their composure instantly, and Temari got up to answer it.

Lee was standing in the hallway, and Temari managed to give him an imperious look instead of bursting out laughing. "What do you want, bushy-brows?"

Lee smiled. "I see you have picked up one of Naruto's nicknames for me. I simply heard noise and wondered if everything was okay."

Kankuro peered over his sister's shoulder. "Everything's great, actually."

Temari didn't look at her brother, but gave Lee a bright smile. "Thanks for stopping by. Good night!" she almost sang before shutting the door in Lee's face.

She and Kankuro waited until they heard Lee's footsteps return to his room before they started laughing again.

"Jeez, Gaara," Kankuro breathed between chuckles, "I thought _Temari_ had bad taste."

The eldest of the Sabaku siblings paused in her hysteria long enough to hit him.

"If you two are finished," Gaara said slightly louder than he usually spoke. That sobered the other two quickly, since Gaara raised his voice about as often as he showed interest in someone other than his brother and sister. "I'm going to assume nothing new has been learned about the Uchiha?"

"Other than that he's got a werewolf and a few other vampires, including the Hyuuga daughter, living with him?" Temari asked.

Kankuro whistled. "What, does the guy have a harem of female vamps? Is the werewolf just there to add variety?"

"Honestly, Kankuro, that's disgusting."

"Maybe to you."

"Besides," Temari added, "the werewolf is male. Shikamaru- the lazy-ass, I mean- knows more than he should. He answered any question I asked, but some of the stuff a Hyuuga associate of his age wouldn't know."

"Keep an eye on him, then," Gaara advised. "And try to find out more about Sasuke Uchiha. The fact that the Hyuugas want him so badly must mean something."

--End Chapter Six--

I still adore the Sand Sibs (starting to like my Ino quite a bit as well), and this time I absolutely failed at keeping them out of the chapter. And in case you were wondering, I don't plan to push a GaaLee relationship. Friendship, yes. More than that, probably not. As to the suddenness of the SasuSaku kiss… most of you probably don't mind, right? And I have method to my madness, for those of you that do. Thanks for reading, and please review! (Even if you want to yell at me for any reason. )


	7. Giants In The Sky

I had so many issues with this chapter… That's why it took so long. I had the first part (Gaara's school daze) written before I posted the previous chapter, but the rest of it was in fragments and I barely managed to piece them together. There's some strongly implied ShinoKiba, vaguely implied ChouIno, and the rest you've all seen before. The sections might seem disjointed... I'm sorry about that. Crazy college schedule has screwed with my brain and thus my writing. Be that as it may, enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

**Bloodline**

--Chapter Seven: Giants In The Sky--

In Suna, the Sabaku siblings had gone to a private school. There, no one (including the supposed authority figures) bothered the three of them because no one was stupid enough to try it. Upon learning that he would have to attend Konoha's public high school with Neji, Lee, Tenten, Naruto, and Shikamaru, Gaara was slightly displeased. By the end of his first week, he envied Kankuro and Temari a little. They had already graduated and didn't have to put up with this shit.

On Monday, Gaara decided he did not like the Konoha High uniform. He was okay with the dark gray pants. He could tolerate the crisp, white collared shirt. He was not fond of the blue tie but could live with the thing. Gaara's major issue was the deep green sweater-vest. When combined with his dark red hair, it made him feel like a Christmas decoration. That Christmas was far from one of Gaara's favorite holidays was not helpful.

On Tuesday he was called into the principal's office, where he had to listen to her ten-minute tirade about the school's policy on tattoos and why the kanji for "love" on his forehead was unacceptable.

On Wednesday he was sent back to the principal's office, where he was subjected to a lecture on the reasons boys should not wear eyeliner, especially in excessive amounts.

On Thursday the school counselor wanted to talk to him about the monologue Gaara had written for his drama class (which he was only taking because the school required it). The monologue had been about death, with numerous mentions of blood and methods of killing. The counselor wanted to know about Gaara's family life.

Friday was the one day of the week where the students were allowed to dress as they pleased, within limits. Gaara wore all black, because that was what he always wore when he didn't have to wear the school uniform. That day, unfortunately, also happened to be Halloween. Someone in his math class asked if Gaara _meant_ to be dressed as a Goth. The only thing that saved the student from a black-eye and Gaara from third visit with the principal was Naruto dragging the youngest of the Sabaku siblings to lunch.

Gaara was surprised to discover, on that Friday, that lunch was the only time of the school day he actually almost liked. He nibbled at his lunch and found himself observing the eating habits of the other five teens he sat with. Naruto was slurping down ramen, which he had every day. (He used the microwave in the teacher's lounge to heat it, since the only teacher in there at lunch time was Jiraiya, an English teacher. The two of them had an agreement that Naruto could use the microwave all he wanted as long as he didn't tell Principal Tsunade that Jiraiya wrote erotic novels while he was supposed to be teaching a bunch of teenagers about Shakespeare.) Tenten ate neatly and with a fork, conversing with Neji as she did so. The newly-proclaimed Hyuuga heir was no messier than his betrothed, but he used chopsticks to consume his meal. Lee ate a sandwich as he read either a sports magazine or one of his textbooks. Shikamaru slept through lunch.

Gaara wasn't entirely sure what their eating habits (or lack thereof, in Shikamaru's case) said about the Hyuuga family's best hunters.

--

Sasuke Uchiha was confused. Since Sasuke did not like being confused, he was not happy. When Sasuke was unhappy, he paced.

Sasuke didn't _know_ Sakura, and she didn't _know_ him. No one did, except Kakashi. So why had he kissed her? Her prettiness seemed to be a stupid reason. Ino and Hinata were pretty, and he'd certainly never kissed them. Shikamaru had said that Sakura was smart, but that was no better. Perhaps, the next time he saw her, he would not mention the kiss and reserve judgment until he did get to know Sakura better. Not that he had any idea of how to go about doing that. So he continued to pace.

Really, it was quite amazing that he hadn't worn a path into his carpet yet. Sasuke decided to pace in the hall outside his bedroom instead.

--

Sakura was bored. Even a few days awake in the Uchiha compound had not been long enough to change her into a complete night-owl like the rest of the occupants. She'd attempted to ask Ino for suggestions of something to do, but pestering the sleeping blond had only earned Sakura a slapped cheek and vague directions to a music room. She didn't bother trying to find the room until after most of the vampires had left for their nightly outing, opting to spend her daytime waking hours buried in Shakespeare. Once night fell and the others were gone, it took her ten minutes to sort out Ino's directions and actually find the room, but her curiosity- and the desire for some sort of noise, in which the compound was distinctly lacking- fueled the search.

The music room was smaller than the library, and much of the space was occupied by a grand piano. The top and keys were covered in a light layer of dust. Sakura wondered if it was even in tune. A quick C-scale, her fingers practically flying across the keys, proved that it was. She sat down on the satin-covered bench. It had been too long since her last piano lesson, and her fingers were itching to play.

Sasuke was surprised to hear music drifting from the room a few doors down from his own- no one had played any of the instruments stored in there in months, and he was pretty sure that even Shino, who used to frequent the room the most, had stopped dusting off the piano. The room- and the piano- used to be part of a method to calm Kiba down during his monthly transformation, but Shino could control the werewolf without music now. So by the time Sasuke gave in to his curiosity and peered into the music room, he wasn't so surprised to see Sakura seated at the piano.

She seemed unaware of his presence, her fingers gliding across the keys to produce a familiar-sounding melody. He realized it was from Tchaikovsky's _Sleeping Beauty_, a ballet that his family had gone to see when he was much younger… before they were all destroyed. Without a word, Sasuke turned to leave the music room.

"Somebody help us in here!"

The music stopped abruptly as Sakura looked up. That voice- clearly belonging to an adult female- was familiar, but she couldn't place it and decided to investigate. She stood up just as Sasuke walked past the doorway. "Sasuke? What's going on?"

He didn't look at her. "I don't know. That's why I'm going to find out."

"Do you… do you mind if I come with you?" She shouldn't have asked it, really. It wasn't any of her business.

"Hn." He kept walking. Sakura hung her head. She should have known…

Sasuke paused. "Are you coming or not?"

--

Sasuke led Sakura to a bedroom in a wing she hadn't entered before. They found Kurenai looking over Shino and Kiba, who were perched on top of a bed. Sakura barely registered that this room was no where near as elaborately decorated as the girls' rooms. Kiba was in his wolfish form and appeared to be in pain. Shino was petting him, whispering to the squirming werewolf.

"Lucky the full moon is almost over," Kurenai said softly as Sasuke and Sakura came into the room. "He's in bad shape."

Shino said nothing, only continued to pet Kiba. The werewolf relaxed a little under his touch.

Sasuke looked grim as he observed them all. "What happened?"

"We ran into a pair of Hyuugas. They took Hinata."

Sakura gasped. Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Took her out?"

Kurenai shook her head. "Took her with them, which is worse. She's not likely to make it out of that house once she goes back in."

"Do you think the werewolf is going to survive?"

Shino glared at Sasuke, who glared back. "Don't look at me like that. If he was struck by silver-"

"He's not going to die."

"You can't turn him to save him."

"He's not going to die," Shino repeated, looking down at Kiba. "I know I can't keep him forever. I know I'll have to watch him grow old and weak while I stay the same for eternity. But I'm going to watch him do that, because it's worth it."

Sakura glanced at Sasuke. The Uchiha vampire turned away.

--

"He practically raised that damn wolf, and now he talks about him like a lover."

"Maybe that's how he feels. At any rate, can you imagine Kiba without Shino?" Shikamaru said. They were in the library now. Sasuke knew that Shikamaru would show up; he came every night. And while neither of the boys liked each other, when Kakashi was gone (he had a tendency to vanish every so often and return after a few days), Sasuke ended up talking to Shikamaru.

"He would have died before he turned ten."

"He would have died the night his clan was killed."

Sasuke was silent for a moment. "Maybe he should have," he said softly before leaving the room.

--

Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi had been best friends for years before Chouji was turned into a vampire. They were still best friends, despite the circumstances, and Shikamaru made it a point to talk to Chouji as often as possible. They usually sat in Chouji's room, away from any potential eavesdroppers.

"How are you and Ino doing?" he asked.

"She's distracted by Sakura right now."

"Ah."

Chouji chuckled, a sound that seemed odd coming from one who looked so young. "Speaking of distracted, what's with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you don't usually ask questions you already know the answers to. What's got you all… thoughtful?"

Shikamaru sighed, and Chouji smiled.

"A girl, huh?"

"She's not a _girl_; she's a lioness."

Chouji laughed. "No wonder you're distracted." He was undeterred by Shikamaru's glare. "Who is she?"

"One of the hunters from Suna."

"And her name is…?"

"Temari."

"How troublesome is she?"

"More than Ino and my mother combined."

"Wow. So you're in love with her."

Shikamaru stared at his best friend. "What?"

"You heard me."

"And you think I'm the insane one."

--End Chapter Seven--

Perhaps my love for dialogue is getting the best of me… Anywho, I hope you guys are more or less happy with this chapter. I'll try to finish the next one, which features the beginning of some NaruHina, as soon as possible. Thanks for reading, and please review!


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